[TenTec] OMNI-D Series C

Fri Aug 22 03:50:12 EDT 2014

How good are they really?
(long story)

I used one on a big Multi-Multi SSB Contest DX-pedition to Liechtenstein in
1988.
See: http://www.dj0ip.de/my-expeditions/hb0csz-1988/ 
We were divided into teams with 2 to 4 people per band.  I was on the 2-man
80m team and each team had two transceivers, one for run and the other for
hunting multies (or today we call it S&P).  

ALL 12 stations were set up inside the same room in a large cabin near the
top of the highest mountain in Liechtenstein.  The noise inside the room was
terrible, but the heat generated by the rigs was very welcome on that cold
winter weekend.

Each team had one set of band filters which was used by the run station.  We
had to build them ourselves because they weren't readily available back
then.  None of the S&P rigs had band filters.

During operations, sitting side by side with the 80m run station (Drake C
Line + MLA-2500 amp), I was doing S&P on my Omni C.  I had no amp.  The run
stn. was on a vertically polarized mono-delta-loop, I was using a vertical
mounted to the guard rail of the ski lift.  I worked a ton of multi's
barefoot, including Australia, all found while listening at the same time
the run station was transmitting a bit higher in the same band.
AND ALL found while the other 5 stations were transmitting high power out of
the same room on other bands.

All other bands used some sort of JA transceiver as a multi radio.  
All had problems trying to hear anything at all.*

* There must be a message there somewhere.

As a result of the inability to hear with the multi stations (except mine),
we changed our tactic after that. 

One month later for the CW section of CQWW, we went to Luxembourg (LX8A).
There we set up a second QTH located 10km away from the transmitting
station.  We set up our 6 multi-hunting transceivers there.  We did not
transmit from the second location.  Each of the 6-band teams had its own VHF
link between the run station at the main site and the multi station at the
Multi (RX) site.  We communicated the multis via vhf and the run station
would work its own multis.  Unfortunately we didn't have enough operators to
run both sites effectively.

One year later we returned to Luxembourg with more people, and better
equipment.  As LX7A we shattered the existing all time European records in
CW and SSB.  And in both contests we worked significantly more multipliers
than any other contest team had ever worked in the history of the contest.
In both of these, my trusty Omni C was used at the remote RX site.

One year after that, they outlawed remote receive stations.

A couple years after that we had the Packet radio DX clusters and didn't
need the remote receive stations anymore, anyway.

The idea of the second RX station was mine, which I of course had learned in
the Army Signal Corps.  We always used remote receive stations in the Army
back then.

73 - Rick, DJ0IP
(Nr. Frankfurt am Main)

-----Original Message-----
From: TenTec [mailto:tentec-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Al Gulseth
Sent: Thursday, August 21, 2014 11:38 PM
To: tentec at contesting.com; R. Eric Sluder
Subject: Re: [TenTec] OMNI-D Series C

Eric,

Unless you're really scraping the bottom of the barrel in the bank account
an Omni B or C series, or a Corsair for that matter, won't set you back very
much in current terms. For me the more critical issue is finding space on
the operating desk for one of these "solid state boatanchors" as I lovingly
call them along with the matching power supply and external VFO. That said,
I still contend that they will stand up against (and as noted, in some ways
are preferable to) a significant portion of the newer stuff out there when
the going gets tough on the bands.

73, Al

On Thu August 21 2014 4:16:11 pm R. Eric Sluder via TenTec wrote:
> Rick,
>
> I agree with your assessment and I appreciate the brick wall variable
> filtering of dsp.  I'm not fond of the dsp NR in the IF based systems. 
> Like you, I've found an external dsp unit does wonders on general noise
via
> the audio route.  I use that a lot on noisy nights verses the built in NR.
>
> As others have noted... The OMNI VII is gentler on the ears when using the
> built in NR and I'll use it sometimes with pleasing results.
>
> Gosh now I want an Omni D Series C!!! I need to look at the balance in my
> bank account and that'll cool my heals real quick! :-)
>
> 73
>
> -Eric
> W9WLW
>
> > On Aug 21, 2014, at 4:41 PM, "Rick - DJ0IP / NJ0IP" <Rick at DJ0IP.de>
> > wrote:
> >
> > Ralph, there is a simple explanation of why you need DSP.
> >
> > First the industry builds radios for us with much more sensitivity than
> > we actually need, especially on the low bands, amplifying everything
> > including the noise.
> > Then they tell us we need DSP to reduce the noise and add it on for an
> > extra few hundred bucks.
> > The magazines do a whoopee-sh at t on how well the DSP reduces the noise
and
> > Joe Ham swallows it.
> >
> > Seems the old radios didn't need the DSP.
> > When the noise got bad we reduced the RF gain and just forfeited the
> > S-meter in exchange for good reception.
> > So what.
> > Now Ten-Tec has solved that bit too, with an S-meter that always reads
> > accurately, regardless of preamp, ATT or RF gain setting.
> >
> > There are times where DSP in the audio line will reduce the white noise.
> > An external Audio DSP in the speaker or headphones line solves that and
> > can be used with all the transceivers in the shack; you don't have to
buy
> > it over and over again with each transceiver.
> >
> > AND DSP IF filtering does save on expensive Xtal filters.  And it does
> > have steep skirts.  So I have to admit that this added value to the
> > radios.
> >
> > 73 - Rick, DJ0IP
> > (Nr. Frankfurt am Main)
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: TenTec [mailto:tentec-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Ralph
> > Arnold
> > Sent: Thursday, August 21, 2014 5:36 PM
> > To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment
> > Subject: Re: [TenTec] OMNI-D Series C
> >
> > Hi Alex  I also have one TenTen Omni D  Bought it last July while up in
> > Mich.  What a great Receiver low noise floor.  I thought it had a weak
> > front end but when I adjusted the ant resonate Gang Busters.  I was
> > really impressed. for an old radio  I don't see what all the whoop pla
is
> > about DSP if you got a good desing like that.  Gota go just thought I
> > would throw in my two cents worth.  73s  KD8BTQ   Ralph
> >
> >
> > On Thu, Aug 21, 2014 at 7:47 AM, Alexander N. Gerli <ac1wye at gmail.com>
> >
> > wrote:
> >> Hi folks!  Well, something new and different in the shack. I've been
> >> licensed since my 'teens (1964). It may have taken a few years (!),
> >> but I just got my first Ten Tec xcvr! My OMNI-D is loaded and has the
> >> 255
> >
> > P/S.
> >
> >> Even though it dates from the 1980s, it is a really nice radio. The
> >> first thing I noticed was the RX noise floor - very quiet. The counter
> >> timebase was off about 100Hz for WWV, and that was an easy adjustment.
> >> Beats me why I waited so long to get one of these. It is one fine rig.
> >>
> >> Anxious to get on one of the Sunday Nets.
> >> _______________________________________________
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> >
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